Designer Punch

Ecommerce

admin — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:16:17 +0000

Design for ecommerce can be hard. The main goal of the site is to sell, and design is a large chunk of whether that goal will be met, and so focus must be on conversions.

But the site should also look fantastic and be easy to use. These can be hard things to balance. The great thing is that people do it successfully everyday. You just have to know where to look.

A new ecommerce gallery has just launched that has a lot of promise, and can offer a lot of inspiration. Check it out, vote for your favorites, and let us know what you think.

5 Overused Design Trends to Avoid

Shayla Ebsen — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:55:21 +0000

As a designer, you must create top notch work for your clients. To do so, you listen to the needs of those clients and research modern design trends into which you can infuse a creative touch. However, caution must be exhibited when researching the latest trends.

Often, trends quickly become degraded, the result of creative professionals taking the work of an original few and reducing it with excessive use. The following are five such overused design trends to steer clear of in your design work.

1. Flourishes

Flowing with grace, flourishes are meant to inspire the feminine side of design. Unfortunately, they’ve been so overly used in recent years that they’ve become the design equivalent of a sappy romantic comedy that just won’t end.

2. Reflective Objects

When first arrived on the design scene, reflective objects conveyed messages of modernity, sleekness and professionalism. However, after being used on everything from soft drink advertisements to the latest tech gadget promo, the use of reflective objects has become anything but modern or original.

3. Scribble Art

As the scribble art trend emerged, it offered a playful side to graphic design. However, it has been cheapened by improper and excessive use and is definitely a trend you should avoid.

4. Drop Shadows

If used effectively drop shadows highlight important design elements, guiding the eye where you want it to go. However, many designers have overused this trend, not understanding how to properly incorporate it into their projects. If you must use drop shadows, do so sparingly and accurately.

5. Green

While it’s now more important than ever for many businesses to portray environmentally friendly images, this concept is becoming extremely overused in design projects. Avoid the excessive use of green tones and such graphics as trees and grass. Using these elements will simply lump you in with designers using concepts that are no longer innovative.

Overused design trends are often easy to spot. They begin as the original ideas of innovative creative professionals and then begin appearing in countless niches, ripped off by other not-so-original designers. Before incorporating a design concept into your next project, research how common that concept is. This research will preserve your business reputation and will avoid you coming across as generic to clients.

Saving on Traditional Business Costs

Shayla Ebsen — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:30:59 +0000

Want to start a design business but don’t have much money saved to cover startup costs? Take your design business online and forego the expense of printed business materials such as business cards, brochures and others. In today’s technologically connected world, it’s feasible to create an entirely online business, dealing only with electronic contracts, online portfolios and online communication. The following are a few reasons why taking your design business online may be the best option.

Reduce Expenses

Business expenses prevent many would-be entrepreneurs from achieving their dreams. If you’ve allowed the cost of traditional business materials and office space rent to hold you back from starting a design business, it’s time to tap into the vast online opportunities. From reducing fuel expenses to eliminating the cost of printed materials, working online can save you vast amounts of money. With proper online presence development and a commitment to connecting with potential clients and other online designers, you’ll likely turn an online profit sooner than you thought possible.

Go Green

Operating a business in an environmentally friendly manner is more important than ever. Often, designers in certain niches receive less than stellar marks on the eco-friendly checklist from the amount of paper products, printing ink and other products they consume. By taking your design business online, you can officially go green and eliminate the need for these traditional printed items.

Expand Your Market

Live in a small town without a sufficient client market? Living in a rural location is no longer a hindrance to beginning a design business. Rather, the online world presents unlimited possibilities for connecting with potential clients across the country and throughout the world. Now, you can enjoy the serenity of rural life while still making a big city paycheck.

Work Faster

From instant messaging to online contract processing, online business owners work faster. No longer must you wait for a mailed or faxed contract or for paper design copies to be approved. Rather, you can instantly connect with online clients to discuss project specs and receive approvals. Fast online payments also ensure you’ll be paid sooner, which is always a good thing.

This is a great time to be a designer. The online world presents vast opportunities for reduced expenses, larger markets and increased pay. By taking your design business online and eliminating traditional printed business materials, you can tap into vast online benefits. Do you operate an online design business or do you still see a need for printed materials?

Photo Source

4 Essential Tips for Handling Freelance Income Fluctuations

Shayla Ebsen — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:03:54 +0000

While freelancing offers freedom from 9 to 5 scheduling and the ability to set your income, it can also bring much uncertainty. A major challenge many design freelancers face when making the switch from being an employee is dealing with income fluctuations. Going from consistent monthly paychecks to receiving sporadic checks from freelance clients can be stressful and frustrating.

Often, when freelancers are unprepared for this change in income consistency, many are left struggling to pay monthly bills. However, with a few proactive measures and an organized system, you can avoid the frustrations and glide through design income fluctuations with ease. The following are four essential tips to simplify your transition.

Keep a Yearly Log

Although income fluctuations can change between years, you’ll likely notice certain seasons will bring more projects and increased income. To properly plan for these fluctuations, keep a yearly project log. Take note of when income is highest and when it’s lowest. These logs can then help you properly plan for income fluctuations in future years by setting aside cash for those seasons when you typically experience project declines. The yearly log can be as simple as reviewing income peaks and dips through your income reports when tax season arrives.

Always Plan Ahead

Properly planning for freelance design income fluctuations is all about being proactive. This process involves budgeting (yes, the dreaded ‘b’ word) and saving as much as possible. The budgeting process can be completed in many ways but, at the very least, should include listing your monthly financial obligations including everything from groceries to the electricity bill. This will help you avoid being surprised with a forgotten expense after the month’s income has been spent.

Planning ahead for design income fluctuations also involves saving as much as possible. Building a healthy savings account is essential, especially for new freelancers. This savings is essential because it can act as a buffer during unexpected income fluctuations in the beginning freelance days.

Pay Bills First

Since freelance income can, at times, be a little sporadic, you must spend money with care. Say goodbye to impulse purchases and unnecessary costly gadgets until your freelance income becomes more consistent. To ensure your monthly bills are always paid on time, begin paying them directly after receiving client payments. Rather than waiting until a bill’s payment deadline, paying all bills at the outset of each month will ensure your responsibilities are fulfilled before the urge for impulse spending sets in.

A program like YNAB can help with this task.

Find new Clients

Of course, the best way to deal with freelance design income fluctuations is to avoid them. To do this, you must continually market to new clients. Rather than waiting to connect with potential clients until an income decline is in full-swing, be proactive and incorporate marketing efforts into your normal weekly schedule. In time, this can ensure you’ll always have a steady stream of project requests and a healthy income to accompany them.

From learning how to budget to paying your bills first, many methods can be used to easily deal with freelance design income fluctuations. By having an organized system, you can avoid the frustrations that many other freelancers have experienced and can instead more fully enjoy the freedoms of being an independent professional.

Photo Source: Stuart Miles

4 Essential Items to Include on Your Design Business Website

Shayla Ebsen — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:08:36 +0000

A design business website is an essential aspect of building an online presence. This website will be a main outlet for attracting new clients and building a network with other designers.

Great design business websites include certain essential details that provide insight into the services designers provide and the client reputations they’ve cultivated. If you hope to portray the best possible online image, you must include these website details in a logical and easy-to-follow format. The following are four essential items to include on your design business website when building an online presence.

Client References

Typically, when potential clients consider using your design services, they want to know what previous clients have to say about your work. By including client references on your design business website, you’ll offer a quick snapshot of the design reputation you’ve built to show potential clients the value you can bring to their upcoming projects.

An effective and easy method of listing client references is by obtaining quotes from current clients regarding their satisfaction with the work you’ve completed. These quotes can then be listed on your website’s homepage for all to see. You can also include a text blurb instructing potential clients to contact you for a client reference list.

Your Best Samples

To build a successful design business, you must be willing to showcase your best work. Your website is typically the best venue for showcasing this work because it’ll become a high traffic area. Often, designers include graphics of their design work on their website homepages as well as a portfolio page to reel in new clients.

One mistake design newbies often make is including examples of all work on their website’s portfolio page. While you may be eager to show others your skills, don’t go overboard. Your portfolio section should only include a prime few examples of your best work to avoid overwhelming visitors.

Professional Credentials

If you possess a design degree or belong to professional design associations, your website is the ideal venue to showcase these credentials. The more credentials you can list, the more professional you will appear to potential clients. Be sure to list credentials in an easy-to-read format so visitors can easily scan the details. Regularly update this section, removing associations to which you no longer belong and adding the ones you’ve recently joined.

Honesty

Every aspect of your design business website must be honest. Never include false information, such as making claims of completing projects that weren’t yours or claiming to be a member of design associations to which you have no affiliation. Honesty is the name of the game when attracting new clients and false information will be discovered and will majorly damage your design reputation.

A well-designed website shows the work you produce and the reputation you’ve earned in an instant. It’s also honest regarding the services you provide and the previous projects you’ve completed. While, in the beginning days, you may not be able to include all of these items, such as client references, they can be added overtime as your experience expands. By including the essentials on your design business website, you’ll build a strong online reputation and, as a result, will likely experience increased business success.

Photo Credit

How to Make a Andy Warhol Pop Art Inspired Picture in Photoshop

Abigailjane — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:00:37 +0000

Everyone loves Andy Warhol’s collection of Pop Art pictures, they are fun and stylish and make awesome gifts for your friends or family or even yourself and will brighten up any room in your home.

Follow these easy steps and you can make your own Pop Art portrait in no time!

Step 1. Open up your selected image in Photoshop (I have used this stock image from sxc.hu) and make sure the layers panel is visible. Now you will need to click on the adjustment icon (the half black half white circle icon) at the bottom of the layers palette and select threshold.

(This adjustment will simplify your image, it will allow you to see the brightest and darkest part of your image by moving the slider from the left to the right. The threshold layer posterizes your image into a pure black and pure white image making it instantly more pop art.)

Step 2. What we need to do next is control the threshold slider for various parts of the image so we can achieve a line art effect which is the basis of pop art. We can’t get all the details at once as if you move the slider to get detail in the eyes then other parts of the image become too dark and the detail is lost. So we have to create 2/3/4 threshold adjustments and then blend them together to get the perfect basis for our pop art image.

On the first adjustment layer work on the hair highlights, move your slider to the left until you can see sufficient detail in the hair, when you are happy click ok or click back onto your background image.

Step 3. Now select the adjustment and threshold again and move the slider to get the detail in the face. Now you will need to bring the hair highlights out, so select a hard brush with the colour black and paint the highlights back in on the mask layer attached to the threshold layer. If you make a mistake and take to much detail out you can sway your colour to white and paint it back in. Play around with the brush tool until you are happy with the effect.

Step 4. Now we need to get body detail in the image, so click on the background layer again then click on the adjustment icon again and then the threshold icon. Adjust the slider until you are happy with the detail being shown. Repeat the process above to mask out the other areas, so all the correct adjustments are visible.

Once you have sufficient detail in all areas of the image so the threshold masking is complete. Now it is time for the fun part!!

Step 5. The next step is to paint in the colour. The first thing we are going to do is paint in the skin. Create a new layer and make sure it is positioned at the top of the layers palette. Change the blending mode to multiply and you are ready to go!

Step 6. Now you need to choose a colour for your skin tone, from the colour tab use the eye dropper to select the skin tone you want. Pop art always uses a hard edge brush, so select your paintbrush with 100% hardness and start painting in your skin tone. Be careful not to paint over the eyes and mouth but if you do just use the eraser tool to correct it.

Step 7. Now it’s time to select a hair colour a bright yellow is always a good choice for pop art. Paint in the hair everywhere you know it is supposed to be, you can refer back to your original image if you need to.

Step 8. Once you have painted in the hair it’s time to add some colour to the clothing or other aspects of your image. Try to limit your colour palette to keep a true pop art feel. The final thing to do is to paint the background, choose a nice bright colour and get stuck in!

Step 9. Once you happy with the way the final image looks you need to flatten the image, so from the main toolbar at the top of the screen select Layer > Flatten image.

Now you have created your basic image there are lots of things you can do with it. A lot of Andy Warhol’s famous artworks are the same image reproduced into a grid. So I will show you how you can achieve that.

Step 10. Let’s work on a four grid style image (2 x 2 grid). You will need to make 4 copies of your image so select your background image and press CTRL + J to make a copy, do this until you have 4 layers.

Step 11. Now we need to edit the size of our canvas, make sure the foreground and background colours are set as black and white. Select Image from the toolbar and then Canvas Size... enter width 100cm and height 100cm make sure the relative box is checked and the anchor box is in the corner.

Step 12. Zoom out and re position the layers until they are in a 2 x 2 grid. Crop the canvas size if necessary to fit the new image.

Step 13. If you want you can change the colours for each individual portrait to create a real pop art inspired image. Click on the selected layer and select from the toolbar, Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. Move the sliders around until you have some interesting colours, repeat this step for each image.

And there you have it your completed Andy Warhol Pop Art inspired image!!

Tips for Building a Design Client Reference List

Shayla Ebsen — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:44:06 +0000

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, networking is the foundation of a profitable business.

From working with other designers to connecting with new clients through an online presence, you must build a solid network if your design career is going to last. To truly generate a profitable client list, you’ll often rely on references from previous clients who’ve chosen your design work.

However, to a new designer, asking for client references can be terrifying. Whether worried about inconveniencing a longstanding client or fearing they won’t provide a sparkling reference, you’ve likely found many reasons for stalling on asking for recommendations. While this can be an awkward process to begin, it’s a leap of faith you must take to become more successful. The following are a few tips for building a design client reference list with limited awkwardness and fear.

Give it Time

If you’ve just completed your first ever design project for a client, this may not be the ideal opportunity to ask for a recommendation. Rather, building a solid client reference list takes time. After having worked for a client on at least three separate projects, you should then consider asking for a recommendation.

Whether asking for a quote to place on your website or the addition of a client’s contact information to your reference sheet, give the process some time. By not rushing the development of your client relationships, they’ll become stronger through a naturally occurring process.

Build a Generic Letter

As you become more successful, you’ll regularly be sending out reference list requests. To make the process less tedious, draft a generic reference request document. While you’ll need to personalize the details for each reference request, this will save time as your business expands.

The following is a sample reference request:

Dear ____,

I hope your week is going well! I would first like to thank you for your confidence in my design services. I’ve enjoyed having you as a client and I hope to continue working together in the future. I am currently compiling a client reference list and, with your permission, would like to add you to the list.

The reference would include your name, email address, and phone number and would only be sent to potential clients who are considering using my services. Please reply to this email if I have your permission to add you to my business reference list.

Again, thank you for your confidence in my design services. Your trust in my ability to serve you is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely____,

Don’t Overuse References

After building a reference list, don’t burn bridges with longstanding clients by overusing them for recommendations. Rather, establish a schedule for finding new references and asking current references to remain on the list. An acceptable schedule is to switch out references every six months and to not reuse clients as references for more than two or three six-month periods. This will keep your reference list fresh and will avoid frustration from current clients regarding continually being contacted with questions regarding your services.

The most important aspect of a solid reference list is to thank clients who’ve agreed to recommend your services. Each time a client agrees to be added to the list, send a thank you note and a low-cost gift. This will show your appreciation and will ensure bridges aren’t burned with reliable clients.

Photo credit: Ambro

Advancing a Design Business: Portfolio Promotion Sites

Shayla Ebsen — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:07:10 +0000

Advancing a design business is mainly about two things – talent and networking. While your design talents will naturally grow overtime with a commitment to continually learning and trying new things, the networking aspect may not come so naturally.

However, if you truly want to succeed in the design world, you must be willing to put your work out there for the praise and, at times, criticism of others in the field. In doing so, you’ll gain new skills and will also gain access to new clients. Here are some of the top online portfolio sites to consider placing your work onto if you want to get a better handle on this whole networking thing.

Behance - A major player in the design portfolio market, Behance is a great place to showcase your work. Create a portfolio, receive comments and ratings from others, and search for design jobs on the job board.

Carbonmade - Including both free and paid options, Carbonmade makes the uploading of an online portfolio easy. Offering a modern, playful layout, this website offers the chance to showcase your designs along with a description and a link back to your personal website.

Coroflot - Browse the portfolios of other professionals and upload yours for review on Coroflot. Similar to others, this website also includes a job board to expand your client list.

deviantArt - This thriving community includes platforms for artists of all types. From photography to illustrations, the portfolio options on deviantArt are vast, offering the exposure you need.

Design:related - Gather project inspiration, browse design jobs and receive critiques from design professionals on the Design:related website. This site also includes news posts to remain informed on the latest designs happenings.

Flickr - While Flickr was originally developed as a photo sharing platform, it’s evolved to include other artwork forms. Showcase your design talents and advance your network by developing a portfolio on this website.

illyPads - Upload work samples and professional credentials on illyPads. This website is ideal for graphic designers and illustrators hoping to get their name out there.

While you needn’t create and maintain portfolios on all of the resources above, the strategic use of a few can advance your design network. The online design community is the ideal place to connect with other designers and learn from them. It’s also the venue to place your work in front of vast potential clients to advance your design business. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can reap the benefits.

How to Create Button Badges in Photoshop

Abigailjane — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:39:36 +0000

In this tutorial you will learn how to create your own funky button badges. These button badges can be used in your website as page buttons, links, contact buttons, interesting little icons or anything else you can think of...

They are really fun and easy to make which means all skill levels can create these button badges. Lets get stuck in!!!

Step 1. Open up a a new blank canvas in photoshop and use a fill gradient of grey to fill your canvas background. Then on a new layer select any colour you like I have used yellow and using the circle tool create a circle in the middle of your canvas.

Step 2. Now we are going to make the circle look 3D by adding a few layer styles. I have used a drop shadow, an inner glow and a bevel and emboss. If you want you can use the same styles as me by following the details on the images below or play around with it until you get something you are happy with.

After applying your layer styles you should end up with something like this...

Step 3. On a new layer use the elliptical marquee to create an oblong shape at the top of your circle. Then use a gradient fill from white to transparent to fill the shape.

Step 5. Rotate the shape about 20 degrees to the right using the free transform tool.

Step 6. Duplicate the layer and using the free transform tool again move the shape to the opposite side of the circle, resize it and rotate it until it is a much thiner slither of white.

Step 7. We are nearly ready to add our badge designs!! All you need to do now is click back onto your circle layer and set the fill to 0%

Step 8. Once you have decided on your button badge design open your image into photoshop and drag it onto the canvas you are working on. I have used a British flag image from freedigitalphotos.net (Image from contributor digitalart)

Make sure your image is under the circle layer and delete all the surrounding image that doesn't fit into the badge shape.

And there you have it!!! A great looking badge in no time.

Use any designs and images you like that fit in with the project you are working on...

(Images from freedigitalphotos.net - digitalart / jscreationzs / Idea go)

The Low-Down on Coworking

Shayla Ebsen — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:29:31 +0000

Coworking – the idea that independent professionals work better in a shared office environment. Basically, as an independent creative professional, you can purchase shared office space for a low monthly cost in a coworking facility. For some this is the solution to at-home productivity lapses. For others, not so much.

If you run a freelance design business out of your home, you may be familiar with coworking or may know others who rent these spaces. As such, you may be debating whether coworking is a viable option for you. Here’s the low-down on coworking and some factors to consider before joining the coworking trend:

Consider the cost – Coworking comes with a cost, typically in the form of monthly rent. This rent can get you a cubicle-like space, free internet, bathrooms and possibly the use of a break room. If you originally began working from home to save more money, the addition of coworking rent to your monthly expenses may not be the wisest option. However, if you regularly work at coffee shops, spending money on expensive mochas, the low rent of a coworking space may save you more money.
Assess the Environment – Not all coworking spaces will be conducive to your creative personality. While most are themed to aid in relaxation and ignite creativity, some may go a little overboard. Additionally, if you prefer absolute quiet while working but notice that others in the coworking space are chatting with clients all day, this setup simply isn’t going to work. By closely monitoring the possible working environment of a coworking space, you’ll more wisely spend money on a suitable space or bypass the expense altogether.
Monitor your habits – Some people work best in solitary environments while others crave human interaction. If you regularly work in coffee shops or similar environments, thriving on the constant buzz of activity, coworking could be a great fit. However, if your best work is produced at a home office in complete silence with the blinds drawn, you should already understand that coworking isn’t for you.

If you decide to give coworking a try, don’t enter the situation expecting this to be the place to network with other local designers. While some coworking space owners advocate these as places to connect with others, in most situations, it’s simply a place to go each day, work in a solitary cubicle, and leave. Don’t assume that others renting space in the same facility want to waste precious working hours chatting with people they don’t know. While you may find the opposite to be true in the space you rent, it’s important to not have unrealistic expectations.

While some designers aren’t cut-out for the isolation of home-based employment, others thrive in such an environment. By monitoring when you’re the most productive and how you feel when working in different environments, you’ll more accurately determine whether coworking is the solution for you. While a coworking space may or may not be a great place to meet other local design professionals and expand your network, there may be other ways to expand your network that won’t cost you monthly rent charges.

Do you currently cowork or have thoughts on this growing trend?